How to Stay Motivated When You Just Want to Give Up

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To be honest, this is one question that I am most frequently asked. As a motivational speaker and corporate trainer, it is also one of my many aims while conducting a session to ensure that the take away from the session remains with my audience for the long run.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much I can do once they have left the auditorium, if they choose not to act on the things they need to. But, I also know that a lot of people do try and I confess, it is not easy to stay motivated when the odds seem stacked up against you. After all, you cannot really stay clean if you don’t shower daily!

And that’s precisely how motivation works. You need a daily jolt or gentle nudge to keep you going, but may not have anyone to give you that nudge. It is time that you took matters into your own hands.

Motivation Tips: The Zen Of Staying Motivated When You Just Want To Give Up

1. View Your Goals, Literally!

“The knowledge that your actions are being scrutinized as you work towards your goals helps you stay focused and motivated”

The point here is to put your goals down on paper. Spell them out and put them up somewhere you can’t miss them. Pin up that stick note to your wall, television, refrigerator or laptop screen – any place where it won’t escape your gaze. This puts your goals out in the open, allowing your close friends and family to be a privy to them. The knowledge that your actions are being scrutinized as you work towards your goals helps you stay focused and motivated.

2. Break It Down

Looking at the bigger picture can be a tad bit overwhelming. Instead of worrying about getting your dream job for example, try to figure out each of the requirements to achieve that goal. Each of the skills or qualifications needed for the job can be classified as a smaller goal. These individual goals will appear much more achievable and you can focus on them one at a time. Every step counts here. You will stay motivated, as you can progressively accomplish the smaller goals, leading up to that grand finale.

3. One Day At A Time

“One of the biggest secrets of motivation is its contagious inertia and doing a little or a lot everyday will help you maintain that inertia of motivation”

Expanding further on the point mentioned above – goals can be overwhelming. This does not mean that you have to tone them down as you can’t achieve greatness by settling for mediocrity. Plan your efforts towards each goal in a phased manner, allocating a specific amount of time that you will spend each day working towards it. It doesn’t matter if it’s one hour or ten – the point is to stick at it. One of the biggest secrets of motivation is its contagious inertia and doing a little or a lot everyday will help you maintain that inertia of motivation.

4. Body Posture

“Appearances may not be everything, but putting on the demeanor of confidence actually helps boosts self-esteem and keeps you motivated”

Research shows that how we conduct ourselves has a huge impact on how we see ourselves. Slouching and low-power postures make you feel weak and are often signs of low confidence.

On the other hand, if you train yourself to maintain better body posture and avoid slouching, you will feel more motivated. The effects are in fact almost instantaneous, so fake it if you have to at first and it will soon come to you naturally. Straighten your shoulders, hold your head high and start believing in yourself. Appearances may not be everything, but putting on the demeanor of confidence actually helps boosts self-esteem and keeps you motivated.

5. Physical Exercise

“When you start to feel positive, your mind is able to focus and you feel increasingly motivated”

Normally, the loss of motivation leads to increased frustration and depression that only makes it harder to achieve goals. This buildup of negative energy can be channeled and converted into positive energy through exercise and workouts. Studies have shown that even brief periods of physical activity trigger the release of what are known as happiness hormones, like endorphins and serotonin. When you start to feel positive, your mind is able to focus and you feel increasingly motivated.

To be honest, after 16 years of public speaking, I too, still lose my focus occasionally and struggle to stay motivated. Life is never easy, but the worst thing that you can do when you are upset is curl up in bed and mope about it. Instead, pull up your socks and stand tall. The best thing that you can do is to get up and set things right.